History time list
1529 - Newtown of Eildon or Dryburgh first recorded 1630 - 15 houses 1772 - First Secession Church 1848 - Coaching Inn built (Railway Inn) 1849- Newtown Junction railway station opened 1865 - Renamed St Boswells Station 1870 - Langland's Saw Mill - George Yellowlees 1871 - Mart bull ring built 1876 - New School opens 1875 - Harvest Home evening in Corn Exchange 1879 - Buccleuch Estates granted 5 acres for public park 1880 - Langlands Mill established- Adam Hall family 1873 - St Ronan's house - Old Police house built 1898 - The Old Skinnery building opens 1898 - New Sewer installed 1908 - HQ building Roxburgh County Council. 1914 - Newtown Mill discontinues 1920's - less than 100 houses in village 1920's - Eildon Terrace built 1930's - Roxburgh Place built 1935 - St Columba's White Fathers Tweed Horizons 1940's - Glenburn Avenue built 1963 - St Columba's Tweed Horizons destroyed by fire 1969 - Railway closed (6th January -120 years operation) 1973 - Rebuilt St Columba's children's holiday home 1975 - Regional Council arrives in village with 300 employees 1990 - Bypass opens 1995 - New primary School opens |
Newtown was first recorded in 1529 in the Melrose Parish. It was a milling centre for the grain in the area with much land being owed by the monks of Melrose Abbey. The Newtown Mill was driven by the burn that runs through the village and corn continued to be ground until the early 1900's.The Mill today has been converted into a housing and stands at the foot of the hill up to the Kirk.
In recent years the coming of the railway changed the village greatly. Having been a typical small border village with a range of tradesman working in the close surrounding area, it suddenly became a centre of communication for the area. Workers, and the housing for them were needed and Sprouston Cottages was built to give them shelter. Sprouston Cottages was reputedly nicknamed "Cordy Raw" because all the railwaymen wore corduroy trousers. With access to the railway, and through it to the wider markets, farmers were soon using the railway to transport live animals, and 'The Mart' sprang up. In fact, there were two Marts, one, still in use, opened by John Swan 1871 . |
Click below for more village history
Contaminated
Water
Glen snippets
Secret Bunker &
War time comments
|
George Stewart - prouston Road - 1920
Newtown was a very industrious village in the early 1920’s, though there were less than 100 houses here at that time. Most of the labour force were employed on the railway. About 20 people were employed in Hall’s spinning mill at Langlands Place and the village also boasted two auction marts; two coal agents; one grain store; two joiner’s shops; one blacksmith; one engineering works; one tailor’s shop; one bakery; one newsagent, one post-office; two grocery shops; two butchers shops; one shoe shop and four confectioners shops. Newtown Mill was a farm where all the oats and barley were milled by one of the built-in mills of the time. The entire machinery was driven by a water wheel, the water for which was obtained from ponds; one of which was situated where the local dump was and the other was at the entrance to Whitelee Road where a garage now stands. The water mill was working right up to the mid-thirties. Can you name anybody in photo - if so please send names and possible date ?
Also do you appear in the 1991 picture at top of this page ? |